Ball transfer means



Dec. 2 1952 Q SLOAN ET AL 2,620,078

BALL TRANSFER MEANS Filed July 29, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENTORS. 67 0770 SLOHN l3 HNDREW M. KLHRICH Dec. 2 1952 o. SLOAN ET AL. 2,620,078

BALL TRANSFER MEANS Filed July 29, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS.

Patented Dec. 2, 1952 BALL TRANSFER MEANS Otto Sioan, Melvindale, and Andrew M. Klarich, Dearborn, Mich, assignors to Hayes Sloan Products Company, a corporation of Michigan Application July 29, 1949, Serial No. 107,488

4 Claims.

The invention pertains to a ball transfer mechanism and more particularly to means for carrying a ball between the ends of ball guides as the ball passes through a processing machine, such for examples as that disclosed in the jointapplication of George W. Hayes and Otto Sloan, Serial No. 9,865 filed February 20, 1948, for Ball Cleaning and Polishing Apparatus.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ball transfer mechanism which is simple, rugged, durable and reliable in operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a ball transfer mechanism which transfers balls without injury to the surface of the ball.

It is a further object of the invention to pro vide a ball transfer arrangement comprising a pair of ball guides in sloping positions so that a ball is moved along eitherone by gravity, said guides being positioned one above the other with the lower end of the upper guide being above the higher end of the lower guide and the improved ball transfer being cooperatively disposed for transferring balls from the sloping upper ball guide to the sloping lower ball guide.

Further objects and advantages are with the scope of the invention, such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification in conjunction with the drawings disclosing specific embodiments of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the ball transfer mechanism, as viewed from the side which is disposed toward the rear end of the machine, shown in lowermost position with the uppermost position shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the end of the ball transfer mechanism adapted to be mounted to the frame of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the improved ball transfer, installed in such a machine, as viewed from the rear end of themachine;

and l V Fig. 4 is a plan view of a cam.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that a ball receiver in is provided comprising a head plate ll of substantially a triangular conformation having a pair of ball receiving members [3 extending therefrom in a spaced apart relation suitable for receiving a ball l5 rolling down thereunto from an upper sloping ball guide [1. The sloping ball guide I! may be a trough-like structure, as represented, or it may be a pair of suitably spaced guide rails, as shown in the application previously mentioned.

The spaced ball receiving members l3 have reduced pins [9 extending through the head plate H and secured as by lock nuts 2|. These ball receiving members I3 are smooth and symmetrical pin-like elements and may be taped or covered with soft material, for receiving the balls with a minimum of friction to avoid any friction marks on the outer surface of any ball transported by the mechanism. Such a ball l5 rolls down the upper sloping ball guide I! and passes to a position upon the ball receiver I0 which. is held up to receive the ball by a pair of spaced arms and 21. The lower arm 21 is secured pivotally to the lower portion of the head plate H by a screw 29 extending therethrough. The upper arm 25 is apertured at this end to be pivotally disposed upon an intermediate reduced portion of the adjacent ball receiving member 13 near the head plate ll. These two support arms 25 and 21 extend from the ball receiver in, in a spaced apart substantially parallel relation, for pivotal attachment at the other ends on a web 3| of an angular mounting bracket 33 on a pivotal support pin 35 and a shaft 34 extending therethrough. The other web 39 of the mounting bracket 33 is apertured suitably for reception of screws 4|, by which attachment is made on the frame 56 of the machine.

For holding the ball receiver at its uppermost position at the proper time when a ball Will pass down the upper ball guide, a pair of cam arms, or actuator arms, 43 are provided extending across the two support arms and secured pivotally on opposite sides thereof by screws 45. The bolts 45 are loose to provide a pivotal connection and to avoid creating a tight clamping relation be tween the actuatorarms and the parallel support arms. Spacers 41 are provided on these screws 45 to hold the cam arm 43 spaced apart so that a screw 49 may be passed through the upper ends of these arms for rotatively supporting a cam roller 5| which rolls upon a cam 53. This cam is suitably shaped for holding the ball receiver either at the upper position adjacent the lower end of the upper ball guide IT for receiving a ball therefrom, or adjacent the upper end of a lower ball guide 55, disposed thereunder, for depositing a transferred ball thereupon. This lower ball guide 55 slopes in the opposite direction so that the deposited ball rolls down the lower guide away from the ball transfer. The two sloping ball guides l1 and 55 correspond to the two pairs of sloping ball guide rails disclosed as part of the machine in said co-pending application, wherein the main cam shaft 53 carries and drives this cam 53'. This assures that the ball receiver is carried to the respective upper and lower positions in proper timed relation to the other operations of the machine 56 so that the ball is properly received and transferred down to the lower sloping ball carrying guide. Fig. 4 shOWS a cam 53' of a suitable shape for controlling the operation of the ball transfer mechanism, in such a machine. A guard rail 51 is preferably provided on a cross-piece 59 of the machine supporting a soft rubber buffer 60, such as a piece of hose, in a suitable position to stop the ball as it rolls upon the ball support members [3 from the upper ball guide H, as shown in Fig. 3. Greater rigidity may be imparted to the ball transfer by providing a brace '61 having one end secured to the lower arm 21, by screws 63,-and the other end being aperturedto fit upon the shaft 34 at a position spaced thereonas rigidly maintained by a tubular spacer sleeve '65 thereon.

It will beseen that the ball receiver is so positioned and the receiving members [3 extend from the head plate 11 of the ball receiver in aparallel relation andsu'itably spaced to-pass on theopposite outersides of the ball guides so-that the ball passes readily to these members from the upper ball guide 11, and'the ball is then 'deposited upon the upper end of the lower ball guide to roll away by gravity. Itis the slope of the ball-guides l1 and 55 which causes the balls to move "along by gravity and, in handling large :heavy balls such as bowling balls, a slight slope is adequate-for this purpose.

When carried by the carrier members [3, the weight of the ball 1515 eff center relative to the arms25 and '2l. So it is desirable to provide for adequate rigidity,"as by extending the pivot shaft '34 off to "one side from the arms and holding this extended end of the shaft in a bearing plate 61, which is firmlysecured to any structural member 69, of the machine. This arrangement, together with the brace 61, provides the ball transfer withsuitable'rigidity, even though the ball l'5"is off-center relative to the arms 25 and 21.

It is apparent that within the-scope of the inventionmodifications-and different arrangements may be made other than herein disclosed, and

"the present disclosure-is illustrative merely, the

jointed parallelogram means having one endapivotally mounted on said bracket with the other end extending therefrom, means. pivotally supporting said ball-receiving head plate on the ex- I tended end of said parallelogram to be carried in the plane'of movement of said parallelogram means for receiving a ball between said spaced members'at one position and movableto carry the ball to a 'difierent position.

2. Ball transfer mechanism comprising, an angle iron mounting bracket having one web suitably apertured for bolting to a stationary support in a vertically disposed position, a ball receiving head plate, a pair of pin-like ball receiving members projecting perpendicularly from said head plate in suitably parallel and spaced apart relation for receiving and holding a ball, an upper arm, means pivotallysecuring one end of said upper arm to the upper portion of the other web of said bracket, means pivotally joining the other end of said upper arm to an upper portion of said head plate, a lower arm, means pivotally securing the ends of said lower arm to the lower portion of said head plate and to the lower portion of said other bracket flange in a parallel relation'to said upper arm so that said head plate may be swung about said mounting guides.

bracket'in a plane coinciding with the plane of movement of said arms while maintaining a predetermined level position, and actuator means connected forswinging said-arms to carry said ball receiving head plate tovarious different positions.

3. 'In a ball transporting and transfer. arrangement the combination of, upper elongated ball guide means sloping slightly'for transporting a ball by gravity, lower elongated ball guide means disposed under said upper ball guide means and sloping slightly in the opposite direction for transporting a ball in the opposite direction, a ball receiver having a pair of extending pin-like members spaced apart suitably to be disposed on opposite sides of the ends of said ball guides; and movable support means for-supporting said ball receiver to move it adjacent the lower end of said upper ball guide withsaid pair of spaced pin-like members on opposite sides thereof to receive a ball-therefrom and movable to an alternative position adjacent the upper end of said lower ball guide with said-spacedpin like'members on opposite sides thereof to deposit the received ball thereon so that a ball may be transferred from the upper ball guide to the lower ball guide.

4. A ball transporting and transfer arrangement in accordance with claim 3 and further characterized by said movable support means'being a pair of parallelogram arms disposed to swing in a plane substantially perpendicular to said ball guides to support the ball receiver substantially levelas it moves between the'two ball 'o'r'ro SLOAN. h.

ANDREW'M. KLARICH.

REFERENCES CITED 3 The following references are of record inthe 

